Denver is celebrating 70 years of hockey this weekend, with more than 160 alumni expected to descend upon the Front Range for DU’s non-conference series against Niagara.

So I thought it would be fun to compile 70 (maybe a few more) fun facts as a way to say Cheers to the Pioneers!

Part 1 includes Nos. 70-36

Part 2 includes Nos. 35-1

35

The most power-play goals in a Pioneers career, by Dwight Mathiasen.

34

The most wins in a season (1985-86) by the Pioneers.

33

Only four players have ever worn this number for DU, goaltenders all – spirited one-year wonder Packy Munson, Adam Murray (2009-13), Anders Eisner (1996-2000, and son of former Disney honcho Michael) and Sinuhe Wallinheimo (1994-96), who went on to play 14 years of professional hockey, mostly in his native Finland.

32

Current Pioneers defenseman Justin Lee is the only player in program history to wear this number.

31

This has been a popular number with the masked men in this decade. There has been a 31 on the roster every year since 2011, including Michael Corson the past two seasons, as well as by Dayton Rasmussen, Colorado’s own Evan Cowley and Juho Olkinuora, who is currently playing in the KHL. Before that, it was only worn twice, including by former NHL stopper Wade Dubielewicz.

30

The most wins in a season by a DU goaltender, which George Kirkwood attained during the 1960-61 season. Tanner Jaillet (2016-17) and Gerry Powers (1967-68) are next with 28 W’s. … This is also how many NCAA Tournament appearances the Pioneers have.

29

The late Jim Wiste (at left) is 29^th on DU’s all-time scoring list with 139 points in three seasons. Wiste also operated one of the better hockey hangouts on the planet, the legendary Campus Lounge, for many years.

28

DU’s longest overall winning streak, covering seasons spanning from 1960 to 1962 seasons.

27

After being largely ignored until 1994, this number has been worn every season since, currently by Kyle Mayhew.

26

Denver has had plenty of long unbeaten streaks, but none longer than its 25-0-1 run during the 1960-61 national championship season.

25

To kick off their 25^th season of hockey, in 1974, the Pioneers had four captains! They were Mitch Brandt, John Pearson, Dave Tomassoni and Bob Young. But that’s nothing compared to the 20^th Pioneers team, in 1969, which had SIX players wear the “C”. It’s hard to argue with the logic of the ’69 team’s thinking – they won the program’s fifth NCAA title.

24

A personal note. This is Magness Mayhem’s favorite number because of its significance in our family. It’s the day of the month of our anniversary AND our son’s birth. … OK, now back to DU’s glorious history. … This also was the number of Colorado’s own Colin Staub, who as captain last season led the Pioneers to their third Frozen Four in his four seasons on campus.

23

Two of the three Shore brothers who played at DU wore this number – Drew and then Nick. Quentin wore 27. Drew is in the KHL this season after playing parts of five seasons in the NHL, and Nick is on the Toronto Maple Leafs.

22

The Pioneers’ longest winning streak during a season, which came during the 1967-68 campaign.

21

George Konik lit the lamp this many times during the 1958-59 season, a goal-scoring standard by a DU defenseman that still stands today. Konik capped more than a decade in pro hockey by playing for the Minnesota Fighting Saints in the WHA’s inaugural season of 1972-73.

20

Game-winning goals by Jarid Lukosevicius, the most in school history.

19

The most power-play goals in a season, by longtime NHLer Ed Beers in 1981-82. … Also, one of the first players at DU to wear this number, Mike Lampman (1969-72) played a lot of his youth hockey in Southern California after his family moved from Ontario. The current player wearing this number, Cole Guttman, played a lot of his youth hockey in Southern California.

18

DU’s 18^th NCAA Tournament game was a win to end the season, but oddly enough it didn’t result in a championship. The Pioneers edged Harvard, 1-0, on March 20, 1971, in a third-place game at the Frozen Four.

17

The Pioneers have been money in postseason conference tournaments, winning WCHA or NCHC tournaments 17 times.

16

We teased you at 18, so we’ll give you the real deal at 16. Denver’s 16^th NCAA Tournament game did end with a national title – a 4-3 victory over Cornell on March 15, 1969. Making it even better was the Pioneers got to parade around on CC’s home ice in Colorado Springs with the NCAA championship trophy.

15

Oh blank! Peter Mannino (2004-08) has the most shutouts in school history with 15. … This also was the number of DU great and long-time NHL player Peter McNab. McNab (at left), who played nearly 1,000 NHL games, mostly with the Big Bad Bruins of the 1970s, had 170 points in 105 games for DU. He sits 10^th on the school’s all-time scoring list. If you hadn’t heard of McNab the player, you’ve probably heard him because he has served as the Avalanche’s TV color analyst for several seasons.

14

Is not in your lineup. This is one of the very rare seasons in DU’s history in which it does not have a No. 14 on the roster. Jarid Lukosevicius wore it the past four seasons.

13

WCHA and NCHC regular-season championships for Denver.

12

Twelve times the Pioneers have had a conference rookie of the year. The first was goalie George Kirkwood, who won the WCHA honor in 1960, and the most recent was center Henrik Borgstrom in the NCHC in 2017.

11

Two seasons and an NCAA title for Paul Stastny, one of the best players to wear this number for Denver. Stastny’s extensive NHL career has taken him from the Avalanche to St. Louis to Winnipeg and now to Vegas.

10

Let’s hope Jerry Walker had a stake in a hat company during the 1960-61 season because his 10 hat tricks remain a school record. … This also is how many Hobey Baker Award finalists the Pioneers have had.

9

If you wear this number for DU, the chances are good you’re from California. A trend started by two-time national champion Gabe Gauthier has been carried through by Rhett Rakhshani, Beau Bennett, Gabe Levin and Tyson McLellan. Gauthier, with 155 points, is No. 16 on the school scoring list, while Rakhshani, with 151, is two spots behind him. … Also, David Carle is the ninth coach in program history.

8

The Pioneers completed their Skate for Eight in Chicago, with a 3-2 victory over Minnesota-Duluth on April 8, 2017. Jarid Lukosevicius scored all three DU goals in the final, making him the first player since his coach at the time, Jim Montgomery, to accomplish a natural hat trick in an NCAA title game. Luko was named the Tournament’s most outstanding player. DU scored 20 goals in four NCAA games. … That capped a 33-7-4 season in which defenseman Will Butcher won the Hobey Baker Award – the program’s second – and goaltender Tanner Jaillet won the Mike Richter Award. Troy Terry led the team with 45 points.

7

Denver won consecutive national titles for the third time in program history when it defeated North Dakota, 4-1, on April 9, 2005, at Columbus, Ohio. The Pioneers scored 18 goals in four NCAA games. That capped a 32-9-2 season, tied for the most wins in a campaign in the George Gwozdecky era. … Goaltender Peter Mannino was the Frozen Four’s most outstanding player after making a career-high 44 saves in the final. Paul Stastny scored two goals and earned all-tournament honors, along with Matt Carle, Gabe Gauthier and Brett Skinner. … DU not only defeated CC for the WCHA title, but they tamed the Tigers in the Frozen Four semifinal as well. Gauthier also scored twice in a WCHA semifinal win over North Dakota. He, Carle, Skinner and Stastny were All-Americans.

6

The Pioneers knocked off Maine, 1-0, on April 10, 2004, at Boston to give George Gwozdecky the first of his two titles as a head coach (he’d previously won them as a player and an assistant coach). This year also was the first time DU won four NCAA games in one year. The Pioneers finished with a 27-12-5 record. … Goaltender Adam Berkhoel was named the Frozen Four’s most outstanding player. His seventh shutout of the season was his biggest – the NCAA clincher. Gabe Gauthier scored the golden goal. Gwozdecky won his second Spencer Penrose Award this season. … Defenseman Ryan Caldwell was an All-American.

5

Denver’s second consecutive national title came courtesy of a 4-3 win over Cornell and goaltender Ken Dryden on March 15, 1969. It also was DU’s second title won in its home state (this time in Colorado Springs) and its second won on March 15. That capped a 26-6 season and gave coach Murray Armstrong his fifth championship at DU. As an added bonus, DU defeated CC for the WCHA playoff crown. … Co-captain Keith Magnuson was named the Frozen Four’s most outstanding player. Gerry Powers was the only goalie to win consecutive NCAA titles for 50 years, until Duluth’s Hunter Shepherd accomplished the feat in April. Magnuson and forward George Morrison were All-Americans.

4

It’s never a bad thing to beat North Dakota, especially when it’s for an NCAA championship, as the Pioneers’ 4-0 triumph on March 16, 1968, was in Duluth, Minn. That win, which avenged a loss to UND the previous season, capped a 28-5-1 campaign, one that included a 19-0 home record. … Goaltender Gerry Powers was the Frozen Four’s most outstanding player after recording the first shutout in a championship game. Bob Trembecky scored the only goal DU needed, and he and Keith Magnuson made the all-tournament team. Magnuson and Jim Wiste were first-team All-Americans.

3

There’s no place like home, at least there wasn’t for DU on March 18,1961, when the Pioneers toppled St. Lawrence, 12-2, to win their second consecutive NCAA title and third in four years in all places, Denver. It was a near-perfect ending to a near-perfect season – DU went 30-1-1. The one loss was 3-2 to Michigan Tech on Dec. 16. The win total advanced the record DU had set the season before. … Forward Bill Masterton, whom the NHL’s award for perseverance and dedication to hockey is named, was named the Frozen Four’s most outstanding player after a five-point final. Masterton finished the season with 80 points, second to Jerry Walker‘s 85 (Walker also had 56 goals). … Murray Armstrong became the first DU coach to win the Spencer Penrose Award, and the Pioneers had five All-Americans – goalie George Kirkwood, defensemen Marty Howe and Grant Munro, and forwards Masterton and Walker. The Pioneers scored 7.56 goals per game and allowed just 1.84. Their 5.72 goals margin of victory still is the largest for an NCAA champion. This is considered by many to be DU’s best team and one of the greatest in NCAA history.

2

The Pioneers took home their second NCAA championship in three seasons, when they defeated Michigan Tech, 5-3, on March 20, 1960 at Boston. That finished a 27-4-3 campaign, that included a win and a tie against the U.S. National Team that won a gold medal at the Squaw Valley Games. For good measure, the Pioneers also tied the powerful Soviets that season. And, the 27 wins were an NCAA record at the time … Captain John MacMillan scored the winning goal in his final college game after George Konik had tied the score early in the third period. Konik, Marty Howe and Bill Masterton were All-Americans that season.

1

Denver captured its first NCAA title on March 15, 1958, defeating North Dakota, 6-2, at Minneapolis. It was the first NCAA title game not held in Colorado Springs at the Broadmoor Ice Palace. DU’s victory completed a 24-10-2 season, and it gave Murray Armstrong his first of five NCAA titles in just his second season as coach. … Forward Murray Massier was selected the Frozen Four’s most outstanding player.

©First Line Editorial 2019